, 1887-09-24
LIFE IN eRAzrrrAs ros,urr.
A Naturalist Tells of His Adventure and
His OrnithoIogicaI Treasures.

A Naturalist Tells OF His Adventures and
His OrnithologicaI Treasures.
Clarence b. Riker, a member of the
American Chronological society, has just
returned from two months Of bug and
bird hunting in the forests of Brazil.
MY wife and l." said Mr.. Riker to a re-
porter, event by steamer from here to
Para at the mouth of the Amazon. There
we changed to a smaller steamboat that
took us up the river 800 miles to San
tarem. There we took canoes and were
padded by Indian boys through miles of
narrow channels that wind in and out
through a vast region of flooded forest.
After we had gone as far as we could in
canoes, an OF cart was backed hub deep
into the water, and we transferred our
selves and baggage into it. We then
rode along well beaten forest paths, ex-
tending for miles through magnificent
timber. The dense foliage made a per-
feet shade, and the paths were as hard as
our roads.
"When we arrived at the plantation
which we had decided to make our head
quarters, we found a comfortable house
with concrete walls, a tiled roof and ham
mock beds. The planters have fowls,
swine and cattle, and raise the principal
vegetables and fruits that we have. The
seeds of the palm tree are made into vari-
GUS nourishing dishes. One of the staple
articles of food is a fish called pirarucu.
1t is dried for market and resembles cod
fish. The natives live almost entirely on
bananas and farinha, a coarse meal made
from the mandioca root. Many of the
planters raise sugar cane, and from it
make whisky to supply to the rubber
gatherers. The fermented Juice of the
palm is another drink used by the natives,
and a delicious wine is made from a fruit
called caju, and also from juice ex-
tracted from the pulp surrounding the
cocoa bean. This drink is universally
liked by foreigners. but for the others one
must acquire the taste.
"There are very few mosquitoes, but
there are some things worse. The mo-
coene, an almost microscopic insect,
clings to the flesh, and, if not removed
by rum or lemon juice, causes severe ir-
ritation. Large vampire bats often fly
in ones face at night. They are four
times the size of our bats. Many ma
tives bear scars from their teeth.
"'Tarantulas were frequently seen on
the veranda, and sometimes in the house.
Their bite is not considered deadly, but
the minute hairs with which their barb
is covered are poisonous, and cause terri
BILE irritation. If we left the doors of the
house open at night, large toads, weigh
ing a pound and a half apiece, would hop
in. One night my wife was awakened
by hearing some animal moving in the
room. W. could see nothing, but from
the sound we were sure that it must be
a tiger or, at least, a wildcat. On strik-
ing a Light, it turned out to be a possum.
"Alligators were plentiful in the brook
near the house, and a deadly snake called
siracucu is frequently found crouching in
the paths of the forest. We captured a
boa constructor twenty-five feet long.
Rattlesnakes are numerous on the oampos
or open plains.
"Leaving my wife at the plantations. /
made excursions into the forest in search
of birds and insects. 1 generally went
with three or four other Americans and
several Indian guides. AT night the In
dians would make a matched house out
of palm leaves. When thirsty we would
cut the root of the tapereba, which is hol-
low and contains nearly a pint of water.
Game was plenty. There were wild hogs,
tapir, monkeys. wild turkeys, peccaries
and a great variety of birds. We fire.
quently saw the tracks Of jaguars near
our hut, but did not meet any of them.
To obtain some rare specimens of birds
we penetrated far into the depths of the
forest. 1 measured one palm leaf and
found it to be forty feet in length. There
were rosewood, mahogany and many
woods not found elsewhere. In the flooded
districts l saw sloths hanging upside
down and feeding on the leaves of trees.
Numerous butterflies, brightly colored,
and birds with brilliant plumage abound.
And on the banks of the rivers at evening
l saw thousands of white egrets. l was
very successful in collecting, as / brought
back over 300 birds, 10, 900 insects and
the skeletons Of ant eaters, sloths, Ameri-
can tigers, serpents and many other ami
mails. l obtained q bow and five arrows,
captured in a fight between rubber pack
ers and a tribe of Parintintin Indians,
who had attacked them. These Indians
are perfectly wild, and live in the deep
recesses of the forest. They are canni-
balls. I also brought home a young tiger.
Its mother was shot while feeding on an
OK which she had killed. To keep the
tiger company 1 brought q large coatia or
spider monkey. He was caught when
young, and is now entirely domesti.
Gated. New York Mail and Express.